


Seeing Double

by Nobody_Inhere



Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M, Pining, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-20
Updated: 2019-05-20
Packaged: 2020-03-07 23:17:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18883294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nobody_Inhere/pseuds/Nobody_Inhere
Summary: "This" Urahara thought despairingly, "is absolutely some kind of karmic punishment."Otherwise, why would there be two - Two! - Absolutely gorgeous men on his hot springs?The problem, of course, is that both of those gorgeous men were his only student and ace in the hole.





	Seeing Double

_"This"_ Urahara thought despairingly, _"is absolutely some kind of karmic punishment."_

Otherwise, why would there be two - Two! - Absolutely gorgeous men on his hot springs?

The problem, of course, is that both of those gorgeous men were his only student and ace in the hole.

Well, granted, one was his student and ace in the hole. The other was, as far as Kisuke could trust it (and he trusted it a lot), a time traveler from what Ichigo-san had called "The darkest timeline."

Turns out this wasn't a Good vs. Evil story, so much as Good AND EVIL against Oblivion.

He moved back against the rock and winced, his back tender and tight after the spar. Kurosaki-kun had gotten way too battle-happy after getting his power back, and had plowed through Karin-chan, Abarai-san, The whole Karakura group _at the same time,_ both Kuchikis, most of the shoten (Yoruichi had snuck into the Gotei a few days ago to visit Soi Fon), and Shinji and Kensei, who had managed to untangle themselves early enough to catch the tail end of the confrontation.

Personally, Kisuke thought he was working his aggression after their betrayal seventeen months ago, but he had had bigger problems, then.

Namely, the version of Ichigo that had apparently fought a Chuthulu-adjacent creature and won enough to come back in time and make sure that never happened.

Kurosaki-san had made Kurosaki-kun take a break from beating the two Vizards into paste, then asked Tessai-san if he could put up the strongest barrier he knew.

Then they had gone at it for six hours straight, and ended when Kisuke had been flat on his back with a foot on his chest, Zangetsu - both of them - at his neck, and the biggest hard-on he's had since he got out of the Onmitsukido.

There was a sound of water crashing and Kisuke spluttered, water dripping off his face as Kurosaki-kun cackled.

"I can hear you thinking from here, Kisuke." Came the bored-sounding voice of Kurosaki-san. "You are going to kill that poor hamster you call a brain if you work it any harder." He said, coming to rest at the lip of the pool in front of him.

Kiskuke pouted down at him, taking off his hat and straining it, being careful of keeping his eyes firmly on Kurosaki-san's face and not letting it wander down, no matter how appealing the view was.

Then again, it wasn't like his face was hard to look at or anything. It was quite nice, in fact, all sharp angles and defined planes, with the same honey-brown eyes that looked gold just in the right light, and the same vivid orange hair he had apparently decided to grow and was currently tucked away in a low ponytail. Even the damn scar that ran from his temple to just under his chin and through the left eye made him look unfairly attractive. (And _by the Soul King, he had never wanted to kill Aizen any more than when he heard that story_.)

There was a threatening splash. "Earth to Kisuke." Kurosaki-san said.

"Yeah, yeah." he said with no real heat. "How rude you are, Kurosaki-san. You drowned my poor innocent hat."

He snorted. "There's nothing of yours that is remotely innocent, Kisuke."

_Why don't you let me show you?_ Kisuke thought, before firmly dragging himself out of the gutter.

He's doomed, isn't he? He's going to die, either from blue balls or from Zangetsu.

"And anyways." he continued. "You should get in here. I did hit you pretty hard while we were training." Ichigo said, perfectly normal as he made the understatement of the century, and is only Kisuke's Onmitukido training that let him notice the minuscule twitch at the edge of his lips.

"He's right, Getaboshi." Kurosaki-kun said, swimming until he was at the side of his older self, crossing his arms over a boulder and resting his head on top of them. "You look pretty beat up."

"Aw, is that concern I hear on your voice Kurosaki-kun?" Kisuke said, fluttering his fan and sending him a roughish grin that in no way betrayed his trepidation a the invitation.

Kurosaki-kun rolled his eyes as his cheeks got pink. "Can it, Getaboshi." he snapped, without heat. "I'm allowed to be worried about you." He smirked. "You're clearly not in your right mind if you are listening to goatface."

Both Ichigos burst out laughing at the completely dumbstruck face Urahara made.

"How did- No, stupid question." Kisuke said, getting his wits back and reclining on the rock. "Of course you told him." He said, jabbing an accusing finger at Kurosaki-san.

The man smirked, throwing an arm over his younger self and dragging him against his side. "Of course I did." he said, voice soft but eyes hard as granite. "Those months _hurt_ , Kisuke. He deserved to know."

Kisuke smiled, once again reminded why, exactly, he wasn't trying for anything else. Kurosaki-kun deserved someone... better. "Of course." He agreed easily. "You have my deepest apologies." He said, rearranging himself into a seiza and bowing deep.

Kurosaki-san watched him with guarded eyes for a moment, looked back at his younger self, who returned a confused look, before nodding to himself. "I guess we can forgive you." He said breezely. "You did beg on your knees for the Gotei to help you get our powers back."

Kisuke sucked a breath hard, at the same time Ichigo squaked indignantly. "Kisuke!" he said, going bright red, but the sheer wonder on his face was painful to look at.

So, Urahara didn't. He firmly ignored the way both his heart and his stomach were doing their damned best to run away from his body and turned to the other Ichigo. "Now, Kurosaki-san, I hadn't pegged you as the vindictive sort, even after all those years." He said tightly, knowing his smile was more of a grimace than anything else.

He shrugged. "Had to keep up with you somehow." He says, the cheeky grin firmly placing itself on his face. Wonderful.

Urahara sighed sat back, his back once again twinging hard, and he was unable to suppress a flinch. But, determined to not look at anyone, he tugged his hat down, pretending that the rocks around his feet are much more interesting than the two mostly naked men in front of him.

"Getaboshi?"

There is a very slight touch on his ankle, light as a feather, but it's the fact that it's Ichigo's that make Kisuke hyper aware of it. Almost unwilling, Kisuke looked at him, Kurosaki-kun's face scrunched up in concern. "Are you okay?"

"It's nothing." He s aid, unable to keep a smile from his lips. "We were just too enthusiastic sparring. I'll be fine with a couple bruises."

Kurosaki-kun squinted, looking at him in disbelief, before trading a look with his older counterpart.

Urahara can feel their reiatsu crest up and crash down on him, shoving-tugging him forward, and then he's underwater.

He broke the surface spluttering, and this time he did glare at them. "I could have had any kind of delicate instruments in my person, you know?" Urahara said, aiming for indignant and missing by a mile. It's times like this when he despairs the fact that the older Ichigo managed to somehow cram some knowledge into his younger self, so now he can control his reiatsu, at least enough to shove him face first a couple feet behind them.

"Please, like everything you make isn't seventeen kinds of resistant." Kurosaki-kun said, rolling his eyes at him, looking over his shoulder, and Kisuke is suddenly, very, very glad he is underwater and that his robes are so big on him. There's too much skin on display, and the water is doing nothing to hide the muscles that are there.

"I'm going to start carrying a taser." Urahara muttered, drinking that beautiful image for a moment longer than absolutely necessary before treading water towards were the two redheads are.

They part, making enough space in between them for him, and _no! NO! Now is not the time for all the dirty fantasies he's been having since this mess started to rear their heads, dammit!_

He went anyway, squeezing himself between the two redheads and and shucked off his haori, setting it on the edge, before reaching for his hat, pausing, before giving a shrug and taking it off, leaving it besides his clothes.

He turns to find Kurosaki-kun staring, and it takes everything in him to not start fidgeting. He feels oddly unprotected without his hat or his fan, even more than he is at his nudity; and Ichigo is intense in everything he does, but this is like someone had grabbed all that intensity and had refined it to a laser-like focus.

  
"You... Look a lot younger without your hat." Ichigo-kun said after a long silence.

"Why, thank you Kurosaki-kun." He said, shutting up before the roughness of his voice became more obvious. Kurosaki-kun might be oblivious enough to miss it, but Kurosaki-san most definitely is not.

A jolt of warmth snapped him out of his thoughts. "These are a lot worse than a couple bruises, Kisuke." Said Ichigo-san, pressing his hand gently over his back.

Kisuke couldn't help but wince.

"It's okay, they are only bruises." Kisuke said, starting to move away.

"Hang on, let me- No, you know what? Ichi, come here." Kurosaki-san said, grabbing Kisuke's upper arm and keeping him in place.

"Ah, Kurosaki-san, what are you going to do?" Kisuke asked, following the younger Ichigo as he swam past him.

"Healing practice. " The older Ichigo said, moving to the side and leaving enough space for his younger counterpart to be directly behind Urahara.

"No offense Kurosaki-san, but even with your help, I don't think that'd be wise." Urahara said, discreetly testing the strength of the grip. All he got for his troubles was an almost painful tightening of his hand and a look of warning.

"I told you, call me Ichigo, This Kurosaki-san crap is too weird for me." He said, while he positioned his younger counterpart. "And it's fine. I'll be here, and we just finished training so our reiatsu should be fairly low." He turned to Ichigo. "Now, I'm going to get you going, but you have to keep it steady."

Kurosaki-kun nodded, an intense look of absolute concentration on his face, his hands parallel to Kisuke's back. Kurosaki-san put his other hand on Kurosaki-kun's bicep, and soon after, there was a warm green glow surrounding his hands.

"Well congratulations, Kurosaki-san. You have managed the impossible. Again." Kisuke said, trying to distract himself from the warm trickles of energy that were currently running up and down his back.

Ichigo snorted. "Who do you think taught me?" He said without any heat, moving in front of him, his hand still clasped tightly around his arm.

Kisuke looked at him and blinked. "Ah, you the same size as me." he said, not quite startled but definitely surprised. He'd gotten used to looking down at the kid, and granted, the difference hadn't been much, just an inch or so, maybe, but it's still noticeable. "How old are you again?"

"23" Ichigo asks, and finally he lets his hand slack.

But instead of letting his arm go, he gently skitters his hand down, until he finds Kisukes's.

Kisuke goes still. "Ichigo?" He asks, his voice hoarse and soft in a way it hasn't been in centuries, his heart beating so hard and fast that he knows Ichigo must feel it on his pulse point. Looking at him is almost too much, but Kisuke forces himself to.

"Hmm?" Ichigo asks, eyes soft and a contented smile on his face, and Kisuke knows in that second he is gone, forever. There's nothing he wouldn't do for this man, and that is a knowledge that makes him smile, for real, for the first time in a couple of centuries.

"What are you doing, Ichigo?" Kisuke says after a while when he finds his voice. He throws a cautious look at his back, but Ichigo-kun is still impossibly concentrated on his back, his power still coursing just under the skin, knitting everything back together.

He's most certainly not paying any attention to what's going right in front of him.

Typical. Urahara thinks, fondness blooming at the bottom of his heart, warm and slow, extending through all his body a little at a time.

"Kisuke." Ichigo says, snapping Kisuke out of his meandering thoughts, and he huffs out a laugh. "You've always thought too much." He says, stepping closer, too close and not enough at the same time. "I've missed you." He whispers.

He kisses him.

_Ichigo kisses him._

It's brief, soft, but intense in a way only Ichigo can manage ever manage. It burns Kisuke to the core, makes him hyperaware of the water, of Ichigo, both of them, front and back glowing like a supernova with power and care and and the kind of understanding that Gods must possess, and everything is suddenly too much, too much, he's going to explode.

Ichigo steps back and Urahara follows, can't stop the whine that comes out of him.

_At least I didn't beg,_ he thinks muzzily.

"You think too much." Ichigo says, squeezing his hand and giving him a fond look. "Sometimes it's just better to go for it, Kisuke." he smiles, mischievously, and _man he's completely fucked, isn't he?_

"You'd know a thing or two about that, won't you?" Kisuke says in automatic, and can't scrape any brainpower to feel embarrassed.

Ichigo smiled. "It's the only way some things happen." He says, giving Kisuke a pointed look. He sighs, the smile slipping from his face. "Please, Kisuke." He murmurs, resting his forehead against Kisuke. "I don't know how much time I have."

Wait.

What does that...?

"I'm done!" Kurosaki-kun says, startling some sense back into Kisuke, makinghim  jerk his head back just in time.

"Let me see." Ichigo-san squeezes Urahara's hand once more before letting go, and he is suddenly so cold, even with water up to his chest.

There is a slight touch at his back. "Hm. it still needs a little more work, but this is good enough. What do you think, Kisuke?"

Kisuke was about to say something snarky, when he realized his back didn't ache anymore. He rolled his shoulders experimentally, humming, but all the tightness is gone.

"It's good." He says softly, turning to face them. "My thanks Kurosaki-kun!" He says with a sincere smile.

Ichigo blushes, an attractive pink high on his cheeks. "It was nothing." he said, looking away. "And I needed the practice anyway."

"Don't sell yourself short." Said Ichigo-san, pressing himself to his side and throwing an arm around him, and this time Urahara doesn't bother to try and avoid ogling them. "It takes forever for Shinigami to gain this amount of control, never mind someone with our reserves. You'll get better soon."

Ichigo looked up at him, and after a moment of intense scrutiny he nods, a small smile making itself at home on his face. "All right." He says.

Kisuke knows he shouldn't feel jealous. They are literally the same person, they are the best ones suited to teach each other, having intimate knowledge of their thought process, but...

There is something, deep in his soul, that sees the way Kurosaki-kun - _seventeen years old barely, and already the veteran of a war_ \- looks at Kurosaki-san. - _Twenty-three, battle hardened, but stilll with a heart of gold and a spine of goddam steel._ \- With all the respect and admiration, like he holds all the answers of the world, like _he used to look at Kisuke_ and it snarls **MINE.**

"Come on, let's get out. Our sisters might be worried, and there a lot of things we need to talk to them about, starting with a training schedule." Kurosaki-san says, dragging his younger self towards the border and hauling themselves up, and Kisuke suddenly finds himself very interested in a point far away in the direct opposite direction.

He only looks back when he hears them finish dressing. "Have a nice night, Kurosaki-san."

"Good night, Getaboushi." Said the youngest.

The oldest turned and winked at him. "Good night, Kisuke."

Kisuke smiled, enjoying the slow burn of that heat at the pit of his stomach, and followed them with his eyes until they climbed up the ladder and out.

He crossed his arms and rested his head on the lip of the pool.

Maybe this wasn't a punishment, after all.


End file.
